Spas in and near Bath

Bishopstrow House Health and Beauty Spa

A stay at Bishopstrow is an opportunity to give your face, hair and body all the attention they deserve. Pamper yourself with one or more of the wonderful spa treatments available, including aromatherapy and holistic treatments. ... more

If all the busy sightseeing is making you way too stressed, or if you just feel like a treat, chill out at one of England's top-class spas, where you can indulge in luxurious treatments that will have you feeling like a new person.

England offers a wide range of spa facilities, from city-centre oases of relaxation, to rural health farms. A massage, facial, hot stone treatment or body wrap at a world-class spa will make you feel like you're really on holiday.

Traditionally, a spa is a place that offers water-based treatments to relax, soothe, restore and heal. Spa buildings were put up around sources of natural mineral springs and were considered a valuable feature in the traditional idea of well-being. As far back as the Ancient Romans, people have believed that the mineral-rich water from natural springs has the power to heal illnesses and promote a healthy body and mind. "Taking the waters" as a medical and therapeutic method became especially popular in England from the 16th century onwards.

Other services such as massages and skin treatments began to be offered at the spas, and nowadays a spa is not necessarily centred around a spring, and can include any centre that provides a wide range of relaxing beauty and health-promoting treatments.

There are still spas that are centred around natural springs, and use the restorative powers of the water's minerals in their treatments. The spas in Bath are world-renowned and this English town has even been named a designated World Heritage Site.The Romans took advantage of the special qualities of the hot springs 2000 years ago, and it's now possible for modern-day spa visitors to do the same at the newly restored Thermae Bath Spa. The spa has the only natural hot-water rooftop pool in the UK, as well as thermal pools and treatment rooms, so you can do as the Romans did, and benefit from the unique springs.

Exploring spas in Leeds? Head over to Harrogate where beautiful, restored Turkish Baths await descerning spa goers. The original ornate arched roofs and oak and mahogany changing rooms have been maintained and remind visitors of the Baths' illustrious history as a popular Victorian spa resort. Boasting rare and colourful Arabic tilework, this establishment invites visitors to experience peace and relaxation in their heated pools, as well as the opportunity to see one of England's last working Victorian Turkish Baths facilities in the famous Spa town.

Early in the 18th century natural spas in Cheltenham were found to contain medicinal waters and healing properties. The settlement's popularity as fashionable Spa town was cemented when King George III visited the town in 1788 and today you can sample the town's famous waters at the Chapel Spa, renowned for their rejuvenating hydrotherapy.

If you don't have a great deal of time, and would just like to pop to a spa for just a few hours of bliss during a city trip, England offers many excellent day spas in all the major centres. These spas provide a wide variety of treatments, and will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to continue with your fun-filled travelling.

However, if you'd like a longer time to be pampered with luxury treatments, and simply stumble back to your suite when you're all spa-ed out, then take advantage of England's spas at hotels and resorts. This is the ultimate in relaxation: you won't even have to leave your hotel to be treated like a queen (or king).

When visiting spas in Luton make sure to include Champneys Health Resort in Tring in your itinerary. England's first healthe farm, it was one of the first establishments to treat the whole person: mind, body and soul. The Rothschild Mansion, set in 170 acres of parklands, is a scenic place to relax, and the spa is the centre of the resort, with its pool and steam chambers.

Spas in Birmingham are particularly luxurious. Situated within range of this canal-riddled city, Boar Cross Hall represents the perfect combination of an English stately home and a modern spa resort. Fine dining and beautiful bedrooms complement the indulgent spa treatments.

For those who don't just want to lie around and be pampered, but would also like to get fit while on on their spa break, there are many holistic spas in London that provide fitness programmes along with beauty and massage treatments. The Soma Centre at the Royal Garden Hotel in London features facilities ranging from cardiovascular machines to aerobics, as well as cosmetic and therapeutic treatments.

England's spas are really world-class, so do yourself a favour, and get thoroughly spoilt at one of these brilliant retreat.